FR2961276A1 - FASTENING PLATE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a mounting plate (1) intended to be fixed on a support structure. Said platen (1) comprises a plate-like body (10) having at least one slot (100). According to the invention, said platen body (1) is equipped with at least one nut piece (2) formed by a base member extending from one side of the platen body (1) and through which is provided a screw hole located opposite the slot (100), said base member preventing extraction of the base member through the slot (100). Said nut piece (2) comprises at least one head member which extends from the base member through the slot (100) and which has at least two parts for holding the nut piece (2) trapped in the slot (100). Said base member and said head member are formed in one piece.

Description

The present invention generally relates to mounting plates preferably for fixing photovoltaic panels on the roof of a building.

The invention relates more particularly to a mounting plate intended to be fixed on a support structure, such as a tray formed of a corrugated plate, said plate comprising a plate-like body having at least one slot.

The assembly of photovoltaic panels on a roof is generally carried out by fixing a support structure formed of corrugated plates called bins, fixed by screws and / or jumpers on the roof panes. Then we just fix the plates, by screwing on each side, said bins. The plates are arranged astride at least two waves 15 of a tray and distributed so as to maintain the panel resting on the support structure.

Each plate comprises screw / nut type coupling means for receiving a fastener threaded on the screw for wedging and holding a panel on said bins. The plates are positioned to allow the maintenance of the panel at each of its opposite edges called vertical corresponding to the edges of the panels parallel to the trusses of the roof.

In the known solutions of the state of the art, the coupling means of the fastener to the plate are complex since they comprise a set of screws to pass through the slot from below the plate. to position the screw head on the lower side of the plate, a lock nut to be threaded onto the threaded rod of the screw on the upper side of the plate, and a nut to thread onto the rod after the fastener so as to take sandwich a portion of the fastener between the nut and the lock nut. Such a design coupling means of the platen known from the state of the art requires a large number of parts and complex handling for the operator. In addition, the nut system can be lost during disassembly of said system relative to the platen.

The object of the present invention is to provide a mounting plate for which the coupling means to the plate of the fastener comprise a reduced number of parts, and without risk of loss of at least a portion of said coupling means.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mounting plate through which the coupling of the fastener to the plate is easily performed with a reduced number of manipulations.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a fixing plate intended to be fixed on a support structure, such as a tray formed of a corrugated plate, said plate comprising a plate-like body having at least one slot, characterized in that said platen body is provided with at least one nut piece formed by a base member extending from one side of the platen body and through which is provided a screw hole located opposite of the slot, said base member having an overall width, taken orthogonally to the longitudinal axis of the slot, greater than the width of said slot, to prevent extraction of the base member through the slot, said nut piece also comprising at least one head member extending from the base member through the slot, said at least one head member having at least two parts, called ears, which extend, relative to the opening of the slot, the side of the platen body opposite the base member and on either side of the longitudinal axis of the slot so as to maintain the nut piece captive of the slot, said element base and said or each head member being formed in one piece.

With the base member and the ears of the nut piece, each longitudinal edge of the slot is sandwiched between the base member and an ear of the head member to hold the nut piece trapped in the platen. while allowing its sliding along the slot. Indeed, each ear forms in cooperation with the base member anti-extraction abutments of said nut piece. In addition, the longitudinal edges of the slot form sliding guide rails of the corresponding nut piece. The plate can thus be delivered with the nut piece, without the operator needing to mount said nut piece in the plate. The fact of imprisoning the nut piece prevents it from being lost. In addition, the nut piece can slide freely along the slot in which it is trapped 15 to adapt the position of the nut piece, and therefore the position of the fastener, to the position of the edge of the panel that comes up platinum.

In particular, each plate makes it possible to span the intermediate zone between two waves of a tank and thus to position at the level of said intermediate zone the fastening piece by sliding along the slot of the nut piece which receives the piece of fixing to hold a panel end edge that would be located at the right of the intermediate zone.

Such a captive nut design in a platen slot is mechanically reliable and quick to implement.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, said nut piece comprises two head elements distributed on either side of the screw passage axis formed through the nut piece, each head member 30 having two ears and the right passing through the two head members being substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the corresponding slot.

The design of two head elements distributed on either side of the screw-threading axis of the nut piece makes it possible to center and position the screw passage opposite the corresponding slot of the plate during the assembly of the elements of the head through the slot. In addition, the two head members spaced along the slot provide a reliable sliding guide of the nut piece along the slot.

According to a preferred embodiment of the plate according to the invention, said plate comprises two slots each enclosing a nut piece, said slots being oriented parallel to each other by being separated from each other according to their longitudinal direction, and, secondly, spaced apart from each other in a direction transverse to their longitudinal direction.

The two-slot platens are so-called three-wave platens, i.e. of length chosen to overlap three waves of a tank. The two slots make it possible to benefit from a race for fixing a panel over a great length of the plate by combining the two slots, while benefiting from good tearing resistance of each slot that does not extend. only on a part of the length of the plate.

The two slots make it possible to avoid the problems of overlapping of the panels with respect to their fixing zones by using the fastening part of a slot or another depending on the width of the panel and by shifting said fastener part. along the slot chosen according to the position of the edge of the panel above the plate.

Advantageously, each slot is made by cutting the platinum body and driving the peripheral edge of the slot towards the side of the platinum body at which the basic element is intended to be positioned, so that the or each head member of the nut piece extending through the slot does not protrude from the flush plane of the face of the platen body opposite the side of the base member.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, said or each head element is obtained by partial cutting and deformation of a part of the base element. For this purpose, the or each part intended to form the head element is partially cut out and brought to project from one side of said base element.

In particular, with the aid of a press and a suitable puncture tool, the bottom face of the base element is made to produce partial cutouts in the base element, on either side of the base element. said screw member of said base member for delimiting the head members which are bent and / or deformed to protrude from the upper face of the base member. According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, each lug is made by incising a portion of the corresponding head element and spacing said portion transverse to the longitudinal axis of the slot.

In particular, the nut piece is applied to the plate so as to bring the upper face of the base member against the lower face of the plate in an orientation in which the or each head element passes through the corresponding slot of the plate. , the screw hole being located opposite the slot. The platen / nut piece assembly is then jammed on a support and two incisions are made in the or each head element with the aid of a press and a puncture tool adapted to separate one from the other. the other the ears of the or each head member, to bring said ears opposite the longitudinal edges of the slot to trap the nut piece in the slot by sandwiching said longitudinal edges of the slot between the ears and the basic element. Advantageously, the lugs are made using a two-point puncture tool and the head elements are formed by a two-blade puncture tool.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the longitudinal edges 5 of the plate each have a folded portion in return so as to increase the rigidity of the plate.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the end portions of the plate are folded so as to have at least one portion extending to the corresponding free end edge at a given angle with respect to the mean plane of the plate. platinum body, said inclined portions of opposite ends of the plate being oriented inverted V in the fixed position of the plate on said support structure.

The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a fixing plate as described above, using a plate-like body having at least one slot and a nut piece formed by a plate member. base having two opposite faces through which is formed a screw hole. Said method comprises the following steps: deformation of at least a part, preferably two parts, of said base element, called (s) element (s) head, to (the) bring it into projection of a opposite said base member, - positioning said base member on one side of the platen body by engaging the or each head member through the slot, deforming two parts, called ears, said or each head member, such that said lugs extend on either side of the longitudinal axis of the slot so as to maintain the nut piece trapped in the slot.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the deformation of said base element for obtaining said or each head element is achieved by puncturing with the aid of a tool with two blades separated from each other by a corresponding distance. to the desired width of the head member.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the deformation of the two ears of said or each head element is carried out using a two-point tool. Each tip, intended for the formation of an ear, has an inclined portion allowing, during penetration of the tip in the head member, to move said ear to be made outwardly of the head member.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description of exemplary embodiments, with reference to the appended drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a view from above of the fixing plate according to the invention;

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the fixing plate according to the invention; - Figure 2 is a bottom view of the nut part of the plate according to the invention showing the base member of the nut piece; - Figure 2A is a top view of the nut part of Figure 2 showing the head elements and their ears; Figure 2B is a side view of the nut piece according to the invention showing the projecting head members of the base member; - Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the plate of Figure 1 according to a section plane passing through two ears of a nut piece trapped in a slot; FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the nut piece and the two-point puncture tool for the puncturing operation of the head members of the nut piece engaged in a slit of the plate for the formation of the ears.

With reference to the figures and as recalled above, the invention relates to a mounting plate 1 intended to be fixed on a support structure, such as a tray formed of a corrugated plate. Said platinum 1 comprises a plate-like body 10 having at least one slot 100 formed along the longitudinal axis of the plate.

In a manner characteristic of the invention, said platinum body 1 is equipped with at least one nut piece 2 formed by a base member 21 extending on the side of the so-called lower face of the platinum body 1 and through which is provided a threaded hole 200 threaded opposite the slot 100. The nut piece 2 is intended to receive a screw on which is to be threaded a fastener for holding an object, preferably lo a panel, such as a photovoltaic panel.

The lower face of the plate is that intended to be oriented on the side of the support structure and the upper face is that intended to be oriented panel side. Said base element 21 has an overall width, taken orthogonally to the longitudinal axis of the slot 100, greater than the width of said slot, to prevent extraction of the base element 21 through the slot 100. In other words, said base member 21 is dimensioned so as to have at least one portion extending, on one side of the platinum body, on either side of the longitudinal axis of the slot 100 to form a stop antiextraction with respect to the slit. Said nut piece 2 also comprising at least one head member 22 extending from the base member 21 through the slot 100. In the example illustrated in the figures, said nut piece 2 comprises two head elements 22 distributed from on either side of the bolt axis 200 formed through the nut piece 2. Each head member 22 has two lugs 220 and the straight line passing through the two head members 22 are substantially parallel to the axis longitudinal of the corresponding slot 100.

Each head member 22 has at least two parts, called lugs 220, which extend, relative to the opening of the slot 100, on the side s of the platinum body opposite the base member 21, on the other hand. else of the longitudinal axis of the slot 100 so as to maintain the piece nut 2 captive of the slot 100. In other words, the two ears extend on either side of the slot relative to the orthogonal plane to plane of opening of the slot and passing through the longitudinal axis of the slot, in line with a longitudinal edge. Each lug 220 extends above and opposite a longitudinal edge of the slot to sandwich said longitudinal edge with the base member 21.

Said base member 21 and each head member 22 are formed in one piece. In the example illustrated in the figures, the ears of the nut piece extend on the upper side of the plate and the base member is located on the lower side. Alternatively, it could be provided that the ears of the nut part extend lower side of the plate and that the base member is located on the upper side. The decks are decks of length chosen to be mounted astride at least two waves. Advantageously, the support structure comprises platinums, called three-wave platters, the length of which is chosen so as to allow their mounting astride three waves. Said platen 1 comprises two slots 100 each enclosing a nut piece 2. Said slots 100 are oriented parallel to each other while being spaced apart from one another in their longitudinal direction, and, secondly, spaced apart from each other in a direction transverse to their longitudinal direction. Such a two-slot platen design improves the rigidity of each slot and thus limits the risk of tearing the nut through the slot while providing a wide range of possible positions of the fastener. intended to be coupled to the nut piece for fixing a panel.

Each slot 100 is made by cutting the platinum body flat, then driving the peripheral edge of the slot 100 towards the lower side of the platen body, so that the or each head member 22 of the nut part 2 which extends through the slot 100, does not protrude from the flush plane of the upper face of the platinum body. Thus, said peripheral edge of the slot protrudes from the underside of the platen body, while maintaining a so-called flat slot edge, i.e. a slot border extending into a slot. plane substantially parallel to the average plane of the body of the plate. In particular, the or each slot is made by means of a press provided with a punch of oblong section which is brought against the plate with an angle, preferably reduced, so as not to tear the material from the plate. Then another tool, called dithering, is brought against the edge of the slot 20 to push it slightly so as to perform a slot of the crushing operation. The trimming allows to increase the rigidity of the slot and thus limit the risk of tearing the nut piece through the slot. In addition, the trimming makes it possible to lower the slit relative to the upper face of the plate so that the head elements of the nut piece do not protrude from the upper face of the plate.

Each head member 22 is obtained by partially cutting and deforming a portion of the base member 21 such that each portion for forming the head member 22 projects from one side of said base 21 to be introduced through the slot. The deformation of the base element to form the head elements is obtained using a tool, called puncture, with two blades having two blades spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the desired head width before completion of ears of said head, that is to say a distance less than the width of the slot to allow the passage of each head element through the corresponding slot.

The term "puncturing" means an incomplete cutting operation using a punch or shears, the knockout obtained being not completely detached from the workpiece. As recalled above, the remaining base member 21, located on the opposite side of the head members 22 with respect to the slot, forms an insertion limit stop of each head member through the slot.

Each lug 220 is made by incising a top portion of the corresponding head member 22 and spacing said portion orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the slot. In particular, each lug 220 is delimited between a free lateral edge of the corresponding head member 22 and the incision area made by the two-blade puncture tool.

Each incision is preferably made using a tool 7 with two teeth or tips 70. Each tooth or tip 70 has a straight cutting edge and a cutting edge inclined so as to move the incised portion 25 away. head member to a longitudinal edge of the slot.

The longitudinal edges of the plate each have a folded portion back 101 on the lower face of the platen body so as to increase the rigidity of the plate. The end portions of the plate 1 are bent to have a portion 102 extending to the corresponding free end edge at a given angle with respect to the middle plane of the platen body 10. Said inclined portions 102 of the opposite ends of the plate 1 are oriented in inverted V in the fixed position of the plate on said support structure.

Said inclined parts allow mounting of the saddle board on several waves, preferably two or three, a tray. Said inclined portions each bear against a side of a wave, to be fixed by screwing on the outer flanks of the set of waves that the plate overlaps. For this purpose, each end portion of the plate has through holes.

The end portions also each include a so-called straight portion, in return, substantially perpendicular to the middle plane of the platinum main body, which extends between the end inclined portion and the main body 1s of platinum.

The fixing plate according to the invention with a captive nut, as described above, can be produced according to the following method, using a plate-like body 10 having at least one slot 100 and a piece nut 2 formed by a base member 21 having two opposite faces through which is provided a hole 200 for screw passage.

Said method comprises the following main steps: deformation of two parts 22 of said base element 21, called 25 head elements, to bring them projecting from one face of said base element 21, said head elements 22 being diametrically opposed by relative to the axis of the screw passage 200, - positioning said base member 21 on one side of the platen body 1 by engaging each head member 22 through the slot 100, 30 - deformation of two parts, called ears 220 of each head member 22, so that said lugs 220 extend on either side of the longitudinal axis of the slot 100 so as to hold the nut piece 2 captive of the slot 100.

The present invention is in no way limited to the embodiments described and shown, but the person skilled in the art will be able to make any variant that is in keeping with his spirit.

Claims (11)

REVENDICATIONS1. Fixing plate (1) intended to be fixed on a support structure, such as a tray formed of a corrugated plate, said plate (1) comprising a plate-like body (10) having at least one slot (100), characterized in that said platen body (1) is provided with at least one nut piece (2) formed by a base member (21) extending from one side of the platen body (1) and through which a screw hole (200) located opposite the slot (100) is provided, said base member (21) having an overall width, orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the slot (100), being greater than at the width of said slot, to prevent extraction of the base member (21) through the slot (100), said nut piece (2) also comprising at least one head member (22) 1s extending from the base member (21) through the slot (100), said at least one head member (22) having at least two parts, appe the ears (220), which extend, relative to the opening of the slot (100), the side of the platinum body opposite the base member (21) and on both sides of the longitudinal axis of the slot (100) so as to hold the nut piece (2) captive of the slot (100), said base member (21) and said or each head member (22) being formed of a single room. 2. Platinum according to claim 1, characterized in that said nut piece (2) comprises two head members (22) distributed on either side of the axis of passage (200) of screw formed through the workpiece nut (2), each head member (22) having two lugs (220) and the straight line passing through the two head members (22) being substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the corresponding slot (100). 30 3. Platinum according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said plate (1) comprises two slots (100) each trapping a nut piece (2), said slots (100) being oriented parallel to each other by being spaced from each other in their longitudinal direction, and, secondly, spaced apart from each other in a direction transverse to their longitudinal direction. s 4. Platinum according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each slot (100) is formed by cutting the platinum body and depression of the peripheral edge of the slot (100) towards the side of the platinum body at the level of the base member (21) is intended to be positioned in such a way that the or each head member (22) of the nut piece (2) extending through the slot (100) does not protrude not the flush plane of the face of the platen body located opposite the side of the base member (21). 5. Platinum according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said or each head element (22) is obtained by partially cutting and deforming a portion of the base element (21) so that the or each portion for forming a head member (22) is brought to project from one side of the base member. 20 6. Platinum according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each lug (220) is made by incision of a portion of the corresponding head member (22), and spacing of said portion transversely to the longitudinal axis of the slot. 25 7. Platinum according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the longitudinal edges of the plate each have at least one folded back part (101) so as to increase the rigidity of the plate. 8. Platinum according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the end portions of the plate (1) are folded so as to have a portion (102) extending to the corresponding free end edge. at a given angle to the mean plane of the platinum body (10), said inclined portions (102) of opposite ends of the platen (1) being oriented in inverted V in the fixed position of the platen on said support structure. 9. A method of manufacturing a fixing plate (1) according to one of the preceding claims, with a body (10) of the plate type having at least one slot (100) and a nut part (2) formed by a base member (21) having two opposite faces through which is formed a hole (200) for screw passage, characterized in that said method comprises the following steps: - deformation of at least a part (22), preferably two parts (22), of said base member (21), called (s) element (s) head, for (the) bring it projecting from a face of said base member (21). positioning said base member (21) on one side of the platen body (1) by engaging the or each head member (22) through the slot (100), - deforming two parts, called ears ( 220), said or each head member (22), such that said lugs (220) extend on either side of the longitudinal axis of the slot (100) to hold the nut piece (2) trapped in the slot (100). 10. A method of manufacturing a plate (1) for fastening according to claim 9, characterized in that the deformation of said base member (21) for obtaining said or each head member (22) is made by puncturing using a tool with two blades spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the desired width of the head member (22). 11. A method of manufacturing a plate (1) for fixing according to one of claims 9 and 10, characterized in that the deformation of the two ears (220) of said or each head member (22) is made to using a two-point tool, each tip, for forming an ear (220), having an inclined portion allowing, upon penetration of the tip into the head member (22), spacing said ear (220) to be made outwardly of the head member (22).